{% include "includes/auth/janrain/signIn_traditional.html" with message='It looks like you are already verified. If you still have trouble signing in, you probably need a new confirmation link email.' %}

This Austin therapy dog comforted an entire community after the Florida school shooting

Kermit, who normally lives his life as a therapy dog in Austin, expanded his reach to comfort a community grieving after a shooting that left 17 people dead in Florida last week.

Kermit’s owner, Melissa Unfred, said it “just so happened” that she and Kermit were in Florida last week.

“Kermit and I drove to Parkland today to provide comfort to their community as they came to reflect and remember those lost in the devastating school shooting. We met several students from Douglas HS who were present during the tragedy, and my heart breaks imagining the road ahead of them as they navigate their grief. I am so grateful we had these moments of calm and love to share with those we encountered this morning,” she wrote on her Facebook page, The Modern Mortician.

Unfred is a funeral director who provides “home vigils and natural burials for people and pets” in Central Texas. According to Unfred’s website, Kermit is the first certified therapy dog for funeral care, helping grieving families through difficult times.